Life Renewal Counseling

 This Christmas, my husband and I received money from family members and made the difficult decision to spend part of it not on gifts, but on a trip to the Smoky Mountains for ourselves and kids, to see new sights and spend time with extended family.  My husband and I were excited about the experience.  Our kids... not so much.  They wanted all of the money for "things".

It turns out, they enjoyed themselves and have already asked to go back again next year.  I was thrilled that my rugrats had matured from this lesson, until I read the February issue of Psychology Today and discovered that research consistently shows that most people will be happier when they spend money on an experience -- a trip or concert -- than on a "thing", such as a gift or iPod.

Why?  Experiences are unique and highly personal, which makes them difficult to subject to comparison, which is the root of envy and dissatisfaction.  I might be envious of my friend's newer, flashier car, but if we both take a trip to the beach, her description of the white sand doesn't diminish my experience of the glorious sunset.

Additionally, many people might experience buyer's remorse after a big purchase, whereas not spending money on an experience might lead to regret.  Besides, your big screen TV will eventually be outdated and upgraded, but your memories are forever a part of you.

So, what can you do in this new year to cultivate experiences and create happiness for yourself and those you care about?  Often, the experience takes more time, effort, and thought than the "thing", but it's always worth it!

As you become more comfortable with your visual journaling through regular practice, you’ll find that you are able to use Visual Journaling as not only an expression, but also to reduce stress, release and heal old emotional wounds, overcome fear, and help work through conflicting emotions regarding a situation.

One way to achieve these benefits is though written journaling after drawing your image.  (I generally like to write on the left-hand side page of my journal, opposite of my image and under my intention statement.)  Ask yourself the following questions (or others, if you’d like):

• How does this journal drawing make me feel?
• How does my body feel now after drawing this?
• How do these colors relate to what I was feeling?
• Does anything about my picture bother me?
• Does my picture hold any special meaning or message for me?
• What can I learn about myself from my drawing?
• How do I feel about the situation or emotions that caused me to draw this?
• Would I like to change this feeling or situation in my life?



• Adapted from Visual Journaling : Going Deeper than Words, by Ganim & Fox

--Yolanda
www.LifeRenewalCounseling.org

The body expresses emotion through physical sensation – how does your body express joy (smiling), anger (tense muscles), and fear (an uneasiness in the stomach)? The way to access these physical sensations is to disconnect with your thoughts, or “quiet the mind.”

Try this exercise in body-centered awareness:
• Sit comfortably and take three deep breaths, concentrating on the rise and fall of your chest as you do so.
• Take three more breaths and imagine yourself breathing in light and breathing out color – any color. Feel your body relax and continue this pattern until it feels natural and comfortable.
• Now allow your focus to move away from your breath and to any part of your body that draws your attention. If you are not drawn to any particular place, focus your awareness on where you would like to be more present.
• Focus on that part of the body. What does it feel like to be there?

This activity might feel awkward as most of us are not used to stillness. Many of us are not aware of the link between physical sensation and emotions until our body forces us to be (racing heart + sweaty palms + tense muscles + shortness of breath = anxiety = panic attack). Again, practice makes perfect! 

• Adapted from Visual Journaling : Going Deeper than Words, by Ganim & Fox

-- Yolanda 
www.LifeRenewalCounseling.org

You might be wondering what it takes to “visualize imagery” and worry that you won’t be able to “see” anything to draw.  Don’t worry – the process is actually more simple than you might imagine!

It’s important to understand that people experience inner imagery in different ways.  Some see a very clear picture, other people merely sense an image with no clear picture, and still others have a shape or color flash through their mind as a thought or impression.  Try this activity to get an idea of how you experience your own inner imagery:

·      Gather your visual journaling materials and, with marker/crayon/pastel in hand, close your eyes and take several deep breaths.  Now, imagine a sailboat.  Finally, open your eyes and draw that sailboat.

Remember that your image is YOUR image, so there’s no “right” or “wrong” way to draw the sailboat.  For every thought of “Can I draw it like…”, the answer is “YES!”  and for every thought of “Does it have to be…”, the answer is “NO!”

When you have finished your sailboat drawing, answer these questions:

1.     Did the sailboat present itself to your inner eye as a kind of flash image or picture?

2.     Did you only sense what it looked like?

3.     Did you just begin to draw, having no idea what the final drawing would look like?

The most important part of expressing your inner imagery is to learn to trust your own way of accessing it.  If you close your eyes and nothing happens, don’t give up!  Just start making marks on the paper and eventually an image will appear.

The more you practice this “art”, the stronger your connection to your inner imagery will become! 

Feel free to post a picture of your first expression of visual imagery!  (And remember, judging or comparing yourself to others is not allowed!)

·       Adapted from Visual Journaling : Going Deeper than Words, by Ganim & Fox

You Don’t Have to Be an Artist:

One of the best things about Visual Journaling is that you don’t have to be an artist or have any “artistic talent” in order to benefit from it.  If you can draw a stick figure, scribble, and draw circles, squares, and triangles, you can express yourself via Visual Journaling more effectively than a skilled artist can! 

It helps to remember that the process is not about creating art, but rather about expressing emotions through images.  Because this imaging is unique to you, there is no “right” or “wrong” way to journal visually.

There are art materials that you will need in order to start journaling, however.  The basic list includes:

·      An 11x14 drawing pad (this size intimidated me at first, but at the recommendation of my husband – a one time art major -- I went ahead and got it, and I’m glad I did.  I was afraid that I’d feel a need to fill the space, but I discovered that my drawings naturally filled the page.  This larger size can be pricy, however, and I have found an inexpensive smaller version at Target.)

·      Multicolored pastels – the more colors, the better!

·      Crayons (larger ones work better)

·      Colored markers with a variety of tips

·      Adapted from Visual Journaling : Going Deeper than Words, by Ganim & Fox

Have you ever tried journaling and found that you couldn’t stick with it?  Are there certain events going on in your life that spur emotions that you have a hard time putting into words (like what it feels like to fall in love!)?  

Like verbal journaling, visual journaling allows you to record and process life events, but it uses a person’s inner vision to imagine what a thought, feeling, or emotional reaction would look like if it were expressed as a color, shape, or image. 

By combining the image and verbal thoughts, you are able to integrate the functions of your visual, feeling-centered right brain with your verbal, logical, thought-centered left brain.  Simply put, visual journaling helps your left and right brain communicate more effectively and bring greater insight to a situation.

Are you ready to try something new?  Join us in learning about the process of visual journaling and how you might put it to use.

·      Adapted from Visual Journaling : Going Deeper than Words, by Ganim & Fox

According to The Art of Extreme Self-Care by Cheryl Richardson:

"If you currently feel that you're not organized or grounded, there's a good chance that the peace of mind you long for lies in your ability to create a natural rhythm in your life..."

Creating routines can be a "surprisingly powerful act of Extreme Self Care."

These routines can be formed in both your personal and professional life, such as:

* Going to bed and getting up at the same time every day.

* Working out at the same time each week.

* Scheduling a work meeting at the same time each week.

* Meditating

* Going for a walk

* Spending time with a loved one

* Checking voicemail and email at predetermined times during the day.

* Giving yourself 20 minutes at the end of the day to tie up loose ends.

Choose one thing and focus on it for a week. At the end of the week, ask yourself if the new routine has helped you feel more relaxed, less overwhelmed, and/or more productive.

www.LifeRenewalCounseling.org